Atlanta Falcons welcome Roddy White to the Ring of Honor

Roddy White meant so much for the Atlanta Falcons and the city as a whole and now, he is finally being recognized as one of the greats to ever put on the red, black, silver and white.

White tweeted Tuesday that he was going into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor and that he was extremely happy about it and happy for his family.

This is an honor befitting of a player like White. He was a receiver that never quit and had a drive to win that was a big reason why the Falcons were finally able to have back-to-back winning seasons and reach the playoffs consistently.

White’s career with the Atlanta Falcons from 2005-2015 saw him become one of the all-time greats in Atlanta sports. He became a receiver that opposing defensive backs hated to go up against. At times, White seemed unstoppable.

Because of his skill set and talent, he holds many records to this day. These records include: most receiving yards in a half (185), career receiving yards (10,863), receptions in a playoff game (11), most seasons with 1,000 yards (6), career receiving touchdowns (63), career receptions (808) and most career starts (149) and games played (171) for a wide receiver.

Along with his statistics and records, White also made some notable plays on defense that will be remembered forever.

Who could forget his hustle play against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nate Clements. Clements had just intercepted Matt Ryan late in the game and he thought he was going to run in the end zone for a game sealing pick-six. Clements, however, did not realize that White was bolting down the field after him like a freight train.

White was able to catch up to Clements and pop the ball out. Harvey Dahl recovered the ball and the Falcons ultimately won the game because of White’s hustle and never give up attitude.

Another moment that comes to mind from the offensive standpoint is White’s 59-yard catch from Matt Ryan, who was backed up at the 1-yard line. This reception helped the Atlanta Falcons get down into field goal territory with just seconds left. Matt Bryant then kicked the game winning field goal that led to a 30-28 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Yet another moment that showed White’s drive to win was when he and Richard Sherman dueled throughout the 2012 Divisional Round playoff game. Their duel was entertainment at its finest. White’s beautiful touchdown reception against Sherman and the back-and-forth that ensued afterwards helped ignite the Falcons to a victory over the Seahawks in quite possibly the most exhilarating playoff game of the Matt Ryan era.

Off the field, White is just as important to the city of Atlanta. His “Roddy White Keep the Faith Foundation” holds events throughout the year in Atlanta to help the youth of the city become inspired, empowered and educated.

White has left behind a fantastic career that will be remembered by Atlanta Falcons fans forever. Not only his work on the field, but off the field as well, has shown that if anyone deserves this honor, it is the wide receiver from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, number 84, Sharod Lamor “Roddy” White.